MLB: Ortiz hopes to return this weekend

BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz took batting practice on the field Tuesday and thinks his return to Boston’s lineup is close.

Ortiz has missed 20 games because of a strained right Achilles tendon and says he could be back in the lineup when the Red Sox play at Cleveland this weekend. He said he had an injection in the affected area on Monday.

“Normally it would hurt by now,” he said, sitting in the dugout after BP. “I think it’s going to be OK.”

Ortiz took 35 swings, hitting only a couple of balls into either the right-field seats or bullpens at the beginning. He then sent a half dozen deep to right in his final eight swings.

“I have to go at it to see how it feels,” he said. “What has bothered me the most was not the injury, it was the running part.”

Ortiz said that when he’s taken BP the injury didn’t hurt until a short time after he stopped.

“When we hit we do a lot of twisting and that’s when it started to bother me — when I got done,” he said.
But he was happy how felt.

“Hopefully, another three, four days off,” he said. “Hopefully, I feel like I do now.”

The 36-year old hit .316 with 23 homers and 58 RBIs in 89 games before going on the 15-day disabled list July 18. He was hurt while rounding second base.

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